IRAQ UNLEASHES 8TH AIR ATTACK UPON ISRAEL

Iraq launched its eighth aerial attack against Israel, lobbing at least at least one high-explosive Scud-B missile into the occupied West Bank for the second time in four days.

Israeli authorities would not say whether they tried to knock the warhead down with their U.S.-supplied Patriot missile-killers, explaining, "We are interested in leaving it unclear to a certain extent."Meanwhile, an Israeli general said Thursday police had arrested a prominent Palestinian leader and an Arab journalist in the occupied Gaza Strip "to be on the safe side." He said the moves were necessary because inhabitants of the West Bank have been cheering for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein while his missiles fall on Tel Aviv.

Brig. Gen. Freddie Zach said the curfew policy has been effective in keeping the occupied territories quiet because he explained to the Palestinians, "In a time of war, we are not going to play any games."

Shai told citizens across the country tuned to Israel radio that the single missile fired by Iraq carried a conventional warhead without the chemical weapons that have spooked residents of both Israel and Saudi Arabia, the targets so far of Saddam's attacks.

"The impact site was the area of Judea and Sumaria," he said, using the biblical names for the West Bank territories captured by Israel in 1967.

Shai said the missile was an Iraqi Scud-B that apparently caused no injuries or damage. For security reasons, he would not say where the missile landed or why the Patriots were not launched.

"These missiles (the Patriots) are deployed near urban centers and people know whether a missile has been fired from their area, but in any case, we are interested in leaving it unclear to a certain extent."

The army's chief medical officer, Yehudah Danon, said at least 273 people have been injured by the multiple attacks and the Scud missiles have damaged at least 3,300 homee.